Streamline your Supplements

If you’re like a lot of my patients, you may be overwhelmed with all the supplements that are on the market. You read about a product online or see it on Dr. Oz and think to yourself, “Wow! That sounds like something that would really help me.” So you decide to give it a try. Next thing you know you’ve got a cabinet full of bottles and they’re overflowing onto your kitchen counter. It doesn’t have to be this way! Here are my 4 tips to prevent supplements from taking over.

1. Improve your diet – You really are what you eat. There is nothing else that will build your body other than what you give it in the way of food. Sure, supplements can help, but they are not a substitute for eating well. Shop the edges of the grocery store. Eat more vegetables (preferably organic). Reduce the amounts of sugar and refined and packaged foods. Drink more water.

2. Prioritize nutrients that may be missing from your body – Even if you eat the “best” diet in the world, it’s very likely that you’ll still be missing or low in some key nutrients. Those should be taken daily and considered part of your daily diet. So how do you know what you’re missing? There are various tests that can pinpoint this for you. One example that I use often with my patients is a hair mineral assay. It looks at the minerals that show up in your hair. If low in a specific mineral, it’s a good idea to supplement it. There are other tests that can be run as well to check vitamin levels and fatty acid levels.

3. Target specific health needs – We all have specific areas of health that we need support. For some it may be digestion, others it may be their heart, and still others may have multiple areas to support. Once you’ve filled in any nutritional gaps then it may be helpful to target those areas. Here is where I often use herbs, homeopathic remedies, and amino acids with my patients.

4. Work with a professional – You don’t have to do it alone. There are qualified practitioners that can guide you. It’s not uncommon for me to sit with a patient and go over their HUGE list of supplements that they are taking. I help them figure out what is absolutely necessary and what isn’t. Just because it’s on TV or in a magazine doesn’t mean that it will be effective.

Bottom line is food is where we should get most of our nutrients. Those that we can’t, we need to supplement. From there we should target our unique individual needs. It can appear easier said than done, so find someone to help. Don’t let the supplements overwhelm you.

Pure Center of Health offers naturopathic and functional wellness programs to get to the root cause, empower healing, and restore hope. Stop chasing your symptoms in circles. Learn more about Pure Center of Health >>